Isa Brown, Cinnamon Queen or Golden Comet?

[luvsbirds16]

I bought these hens at Tractor Supply out of the Isa Brown bin. They are almost 3 weeks old.



My friend that raises chickens told me they are not Isa Browns but are rather Cinnamon Queens AKA Gold Comets. Can anyone clarify this for me. What is the difference between the different breeds?

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Seeing as Cinnamon are the same as comets and red sex links,its a red sex link.

 

[luvsbirds16]

So they are definitely not Isa Browns?

 

[TheTwoRoos]

no

 

[Foose4string]

There is a very good chance they are Isa Browns. TSC has been using Townline Hatchery to supply their birds. Townline is one of the few hatcheries that have Isa Browns.

Did your friend explain why or how they knew the birds where not Isa Browns? I'd be interested in knowing if they have some insight on the matter since I bought some sex linked pullets at TSC as well. I have 4 and one of them looks slightly different and is slower feathering out.

Several different crosses can be used to make red sex links. Hence, many different names have been used by breeders and hatcheries. At the end of the day they are all red/gold sex links.

 

[luvsbirds16]

Thank you. I think it was just the coloring of the chicks. You see, I also bought 4 chicks out of the Amberlink bin. There were yellow chicks and black chicks. I chose 4 of the black and white chicks. Being new to poultry I had no idea what I was buying at all. When I got home I started looking all of the chicks up online and realized that none of my chicks looked like the pictures



online. Now I know that Amberlink doesn't even come in black and white. I think they are Black Australorpe, but because of that mistake I got a hold of my friend that raises chickens and had her look at pics of all of my chickens and she told me that she thought the yellow ones that I got out of the Isa Brown bin are Cinnamon Queens AKA Gold Comets. I am just curious to what I actually have. It doesn't really matter because I don't intend to breed or eat them. Just eat their eggs.

 

[Foose4string]

They look identical to my links. Same age too. I'm sure you discovered in your research that Isa Brown is a red/gold sex link. Unless you did a side by side comparison of the chicks from the various red sex link crosses, it would very difficult to tell one type of red sex link from another. They all look very similar. Mine didn't come from a bin labeled as Isa Brown though. Mine were just simply labeled Red sex link pullets. However, there was a handwritten sign and not the regular stock sign they normally use. Some of the TSC's around here did have Isa Browns earlier in the season and were labeled as such, but they went quick. I bought my TSC chicks towards the end and only paid 49 cents each.

Those black chicks look like Australorp to me too. Again, another breed that was readily available at TSC this spring. You should have good production from them as well. Enjoy your birds!

 

[luvsbirds16]

Thank you! You too!